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M. LOROIS. APPARATUS PoR PRODUGING GAS.

No. 584,513. Patented June 15,1897.

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M. LOROIS. APPARATUS POR PRODUGING GAS.

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MAURICE LOROIS, OF NANTES, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,513, dated June 15,189'?. Application filed September 4, 1894. Serial No. 522,006. (Nomodel.) Patentedin France July 30, 1892, No. 228,360; in India September9, 1892, No. 2,579; in England September 13,

1892, No. 16,413; in Belgium September 26,1892,Nx 101,511;

in Switzerland September 26,1892,No, 5,877; in Luxemburg September 27,1892, No. 1,696 in Italy September 27,1892, XXVII, 32,757; in CapeColony October 11, 1892, No. 268; in Norway October l1, 1892, No. 3,055;in Victoria October 21, 1892, No. 10,073; in New South Wales October 24,1892, No. 4,066; in Spain November 24, 1892, N0. 13,850, and in CanadaDecember 19, 1898, No. 44,918.

.To @ZZ whom, it' may concern:

Beit known that I, MAURrcE Lonois, a citizen of the Republic of France,residing in Nantes, (Loire-Infrieure,) France, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Apparatus for Producing Gas, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is in part patented in the following foreign countries,namely: in France, No. 223,360, dated July 30, 1892; in England, No.16,413, dated September 13, 1892; in India,

No. 2,579, dated September 9, 1892; in New South Wales,No. 4,066,datedOctober 24, 1892; in Cape of Good Hope, N o. 268, dated October 11,1892; in Victoria, No. 10,073, dated October 21, 1892; in Belgium, No.101,511, dated September 26, 1892; in LuXemburg,.No. 1,696, datedSeptember 27, 1892; in Italy, Vol. 27, No. 32,757,dated September 27,1892; in Spain, No. 13,850, dated November 24, 1892; in Switzerland, No.5,877, dated September 26, 1892; in Norway, No. 3,055, dated October 11,1892, and in Canada, No. 44,918, dated December 19, 1893.

This invention provides an improved apparatus for producing combustiblegas by passing air and steam in contact with incandescent carbonaceousmatter.

In In i atent for recess for manufacturinOp combustible gas, No.529,423, issued November 20, 1894, I have described and claimed aprocess consisting in passing` heated air and superheated steam incontact, together with ignited carbonaceous fuel at an exceedingly hightemperature in a gas-producer, while maintained under a pressure ofthree kilograms per square centimeter or upward. My present inventionprovides apparatus for carrying out such process.

My improved apparatus is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein-Figure 1 is an elevation of the entire apparatus, portions thereof beingshown in vertical mid-section. Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-section of thegas-producer. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section thereof, cut on the planeof the line 3 3 lin Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is another horizontal section on theplane of the line 4 4 in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary viewshowing the construction of the regulating checkvalve.

Referring to the drawings, let A designate a gas producer of specialconstruction. (Shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.) VIn operation thisgas-producer is connected with other accessory apparatus, as shown in asomewhat diagrammatic manner in Fig. 1. This accessory apparatusconsists of an aircompressor B, a compressed-air reservoir O, anairl1eater D, a steam-generator E, and a dust-separator F. All of theseapparatus are constructed of such strength as to enable them to sustainan internal pressure of at least three kilometers per square centimeter,(about forty-three pounds per square inch.) In practice a pressure twoor three times greater than this is found to be desirable, and theapparatus, consequently, are constructed to withstand such higherpressure.

The air-compressor B may be of any known or suitable construction. Fromits discharge the compressed air is conducted by a pipe 10 into thecompressed-air reservoir O. If water or other liquid has been employedfor cooling the air-compressor, such liquid will be separated from thewater in this reservoir. From the reservoir the compressed airisconducted by a pipe 11 to the air-heater I), in which the compressed airis heated by any suitable source of heat. For the purpose of this heaterit is preferable to utilize the otherwise waste heat contained ingaseous products of combustion. Such spent gases may be introduced intothe air-heater by a pipe 12 and discharged therefrom by a chimney orstack 13. The air-heater may be variously constructed, it being onlyessential that the compressed air in passing through it shall come incontact with heated surfaces from which it may abstract heat. When thesource of heat is spent gases of combustion, metal partitions or pipesare employed to separate the compressed air from the hot gases. In theconstruct-ion shown in Fig. 1 the compressed air passes upwardly throughtubes t, while the hot spent gases circulate around these tubes. The hotcompressed air is conducted from the air-heater by a pipe 14 to thegasproducer A.

This gas-producer is constructed with a cylindrical shell A of steel oriron, built of sufficient strength to withstand the heavy pressurerequired, and within this shell is a thick lining B', of fire-brick orother refractory nonconducting material. For feeding fuel into thegas-producer an opening c is formed at the top, connecting with afeeding-hopper F'4 through the medium of the valve D', which may beturned to open or close communication between the hopper and theinterior chamber ofthe gas-producer. The top opening of the hopper isprovided with a cap d for hermetically closing it against pressure. Bymeans of this construction the gas-producer can be supplied with fuelWithout interrupting the operation or permitting the pressure to escape.The valve D' being closed and the cap d open, the hopper F is filledwith fuel, after which the cap d is tightly closed and the valve D thenopened to permit the fuel to fall through the opening cinto thegas-producer. The fuel falls through an inverted funnel ormagazine E,made of metal plate, which keeps it piled at a uniform level at thelower end or mouth of this funnel. It also prevents the choking up withfuel of the upper space in the gas-producer around this funnel.

In the lower part of the fire-brick lining of the producer is formed anannular passage or channel b, from which a series of radial twyersextend and open into the producer-chamber near the lower portionthereof. The portion of this chamber beneath the twyers serves as anash-pit H, from which the ashes may be removed through an opening O,which ordinarily is closed by a hermetically-sealed door e. Preferablythe producer-chamber is contracted just above the twyers to form athroat after the manner of cupola-furnaces.

- Compressed air from any available source, such as the reservoir Cdirect or preferably through the heater D by the arrangement of pipesshown, enters through the pipe 14 into an air-inlet l5, which admits itinto the annular passage b. The flow of air can be controlled by a valveR, introduced in the pipe 14: and constructed to serve both as acheckvalve for preventing any backflow of gas from the producer into thepipe 14: and as a regulating-valve to choke back or control theadmission of compressed air. The construction of this valve is shownbest in Fig. 4Q The valve-disk Z closes to its seat against the flow ofthe compressed air, so that normally it is held lifted by the current ofair. The screw-stem r serves normally as a stop to limit the openingmovement of the valve-disk, and by screwing down this stem the valvediskmay be pressed more or less toward its seat to more or less restrict theflow.

vthe annular channel b.' Thus the entering steam circulates through thecoil G, wherein it is highly superheated, since this coil is exposed tothe extreme heat of the newly-produced gas in the upper part of theproducer. The superheater might be otherwise located in any positionwhere it would receive sufficient heat either from the newly-producedgas or from any other sufficient source of heat, but its location in theposition shown is advantageous, since the heat which is utilized for superheating the steam is abstracted from the newly-generated andexcessively hot gas, so that it has the advantageous result of slightlycooling this gas.

The hot compressed air and the superheated steam, both of which areintroduced into the passage b, are commingled therein and flow aroundthrough this passage, being thereby distributed to the various twyers,through which the air and steam are injected into the producer-chamber,entering it at an extremely high temperature and coming immediately intocontact with the incandescent mass of ignited fuel in the producer.While passing up through this mass of fuel they become converted in amanner well understood into a xed gas, consisting, chiefly, of carbonmonoxid and hydrogen diluted by nitrogen gas. The combustible gas thusproduced passes up and around the funnel E', and after giving up part ofits excessive heat to the superheater G it flows out through agas-outlet pipe T, Fig. 3, which pipe is lined with fire-brick or otherrefractory material to protect it against the hot gas.

lAs some dust or ashes are liable to be carried out from the gas-producer with the stream of gas it is preferable to employ adustseparator, such as the separator F. (Shown in Fig. l.) This consistsof an upright chamber lined with refractory material and inclosed by ajacket or shell of steel. The gas enters at the top and passes downthrough an inverted funnel, so as to direct the dust toward the bottomof the chamb'er, the gas flowing abruptly upward around the funnel andpassing out at the top through a discharge-pipe Q.

It is necessary to in some manner obstruct or confine the outfiow of gasin order to maintain the stated pressure in the gas-producer. As vonemeans for maintaining this pressure I have shown in the drawings agatevalve P, which may be adjusted so as to choke back IOO IIO

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the flow sufficiently to maintain the required pressure. Ordinarily,however, the gas will be conducted under full pressure to the pointWhere it is required to be used-as, for example, to the inlet-valve of agas-motor engine or to the injector-nozzle for throwing a blast of gasand air into a glass-furnace, for example, or other furnace or thing tobe heated by the combustion of gas. Any such means by which the gas ismaintainedv under pressure for a lesser or greater time after passingout of the gas-proc'lucer in order to maintain the required pressure inthe gas-producer is Within my invention and an equivalent of the valve Pshown.

For starting the fire a chimney or stack Gl is provided, detachablyconnected to an elbou7 or flue 7L, the valve 1l being thrown back, asshown in dotted lines. This valve is adapted upon the removal oi' thechimney C' to be turned down and fastened hermetically over the opening71, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: In starting theproducer-chamber is lilled With fuel introduced through the funnel F'and valve D, the chimney C' is put in place, the fuel is lighted, andair is admitted either by partly opening the valve R or by admitting airthrough the opening O. When the mass of fuel is Well lighted, all theopenings are closed, the chimney C is removed, the valve t' closedtightly,and the air-valve R and steamvalve g are opened for theadmission of compressed air and steam. The steam is superheated in coilG and mingles in the passage l) with the heated compressed air and themixture emerges through the twyers a d into the chamber, Where it itpasses up through the mass of fuel. By its passage through theincandescent coal or fuel it is converted into a combustible gas,whichis free from considerable carburets and ammoniacal products, the gasbeing ready to be taken off to be used directly Without any purifyingprocess or storage in a gas-holder. The gas thus produced is conductedol'f through the pipe T to any desired place of utilization-as, foreXample, to a gas-motor engine. The character of the gas is fully setforth in my said application filed May 23, 180e.

My invention is not limited to all the details of construction shown anddescribed nor to the precise combination and arrangement of apparatust-hat I have devised for best carrying it into effect. My invention is,in fact, susceptible of considerable modification Without departing fromits essential features. For example, the employment of a separateairheater is not absolutely essential, as the compressed air may beheated in other Ways. Preferably some otherwise Waste heat should beutilized in heatingthe air, and to this end more or less of the heatotherwise given oit from the gas-producer might be availed of for thispurpose.

I claim as my invention the following-deiined novel features andcombinations, each substantially as and for the purpose hereinbeforespecified, namely:

l. The combination of a gas-producerconv structed with a metallic shelland a refractory non-conducting lining, and having air and steaminlet-s, and a gas-outlet, an air-compressor, a pipe leading from thecompressor to the air-inlet ofthe producer, means for heating thecompressed air before its admission to the chamber of the producer, asteamgenerator, a steam-pipe leading thence to the producer to introducesteam thereto, and a gas-discharge pipe leading from the gas-outlet ofthe producer, with means for restricting the discharge of gas, all saidapparatus adapted to maintain a pressure of three lzilograms per squarecentimeter whereby to maintain such pressure in the producer.

2. The combination of a gas-producer, constructed With a metallic shelland a refractory non-conducting lining, and having air and steam inlets,and a gas-outlet, an air-compressor, a pipe leading from the compressorto the air-inlet of the producer, means for heating the compressed airbefore its admis- -sion to the chamber of the producer, asteamgenerator, a steam-superheater, a steam-pipe leading from saidgenerator-to the superheater and thence to the steam-inlet of theproducer, and a gas-discharge pipeleading from the gasoutlet of theproducer, with means for restricting the discharge of gas, all saidapparatus being adapted to maintain and Withstand a pressure of threekilograms or upward per square centimeter.

3. The combination of a gas-producer, constructed with a metallic shelland a refractory non-conducting lining, and having tWyers for admittingcommingled air and steam and an outlet for the generated gas, an aircompressor, an air-heater, a compressed-air conduit leading from saidcompressor to said heater and thence to the producer and communicatingwith said tWyers, a steam-generator, a steam-superheater, and asteam-pipe leading from said generator to the superheater and thence tothe producer and entering said compressedair conduit, whereby thesuperheated steam and preheated air are caused to flow together throughsaid conduit and are thereby commingled and then introduced into theproducer-chamber.

4. The combination of a gas-producer, an air-compressor, asteam-generator, and connecting-pipes, the gas-producer constructed witha metallic shell and a refractory nonconducting lining, with twyers foradmitting commingled air and steam into the producerchamber beneath,With a gas-outlet from the upper part of said chamber, with asuperheating-coil exposed in the upper part of said chamber to the heatof the newly-generated gas, and with passages for superheated steam andfor air formed Within the lining and com- 1n unicating with said twyers.

5. The combination of a gas-producer, an air-compressor, asteam-generator, and con- IOO IIO

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necting-pipes, the gas-producer constructed with a metallic shell and arefractory nonconductinglining, with a succession of twyers opening intothe producer-chamber, with a conducting-passage formed in said liningand communicating with said twyers, with a steam-superheating coilexposed within said chamber and with steam and air conduits eX- tendingrespectively from said coil and from the compressed-air-admission pipewithin the lining and communicating with said passage, wherebycompressed air and superheated steam are united and coinniingled in saidpassage while highly heated by the lining, and then introduced throughsaid twyers into the producer-chamber.

6. The combination with an air-compressor and steam-generator of agas-producer constructed with a metallic shell and a refractoryl10n-conducting lining, having a feeding-hopper for introducing fuel, amagazine or funnelprojecting down from said hopper Within theproducer-chamber, 'a superheating-coil arranged in the upper part ofsaid chaml ber around said funnel, a gas-outlet from said chambercommunicating with the space around said funnel, and eonnectingpipesleading from the air-compressor to the gasproducer and from thesteam-generator t0 said supcrheating-coil and thence to the steam-inletof said gas-producer.

7. A gas-producer consisting of an outer metallic shell, a refractorynon-conducting lining, both divided transversely into two sections withflan ges and fastening devices on the shell for uniting them, a seriesof twyers entering the producer-chamber beneath the division of thesections, and a separable section of said lining in the space betweensaid division and the twyers where it is exposed to the grea test heat,whereby when the section is burned out it may be renewed by separatingthe two sections of the producer.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed iny naine in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

MAURICE LOROIS.

Witnesses:

G. DAVAULT, T. AEsPECHE.

